Refrigerating apparatus



March 9, 1937.

c. E. HASCHKE REFRIGERAT ING APPARATUS Filed July 19, 1934 -iifi i U Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 2,073,008 REFRIGERATING APPARA'EUS,

Carl E. Haschke, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application July 19, 1934, Serial No. 736,013

1. Claim.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for reirig'erating and displaying merchandise, such as invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompany ing drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of an apparatus embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in cross-section, partly diagrammatic of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an apparatus similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but showing a slightly modified form.

In practicing my invention the apparatus pref erably takes the form of a casing l0 having an open front ll through which the merchandise may be viewed and inserted or removed by the customers and attendants of the store.

erably this casing is provided with a substantially closed and insulated top l2, back l3, bottom I4 and ends I5., Along the bottom of the apparatus there is placed a unitary or sectional container H5 in which the merchandise or vege- 5 tables may be placed. Preferably this container takes the form of a plurality of metallic basket-- like sections having a front ll of shorter dimen-. sion than the backfl8. A cooling unit I9 is placed above the merchandise container IS in such a manner that air cooled by the unit l9 falls on the merchandise in the container l6. Preferably the cooling unit takes the form of a. plurality of horizontal sinuous refrigerant flow passageways or pipes having return bends at 20 and 2| at each end of the unit, and these passageways or pipes are provided viQth vertical substantially parallel metal fins 22 between which the cooled air may fall upon the container 16. v 0 In order to insure the proper flow of air from the unit I9 to the container IS, a baflie 23 is placed in front of the unit I9 and is slightly spaced from the top l2 to provide an airpassageway 24 between the top l2 and the baflie 23. 55 This permits a gentle flow of cold air from the Pref-.

unit I!) which is guided or directed by the baffle 23 on the merchandise..

Means are provided to supply refrigerant or v cooling medium to the unit I9. This may take the form of a refrigerant liquefying' or circulating 5 unit 25. It may include a compressor 26, condenser 21, refrigerant receiver 28 in refrigerant flow relationship with the cooling unit or evaporator l9. An electric motor 29 is provided to drive the compressor 26. Refrigerant which has 10 been liquefied by the unit 25 flows through the pipe 30 toan expansion valve 3| from whence 'it flows at reduced pressure through the pipes or passageways of the cooling unit I9. Preferably the valve 3| is of the automatic and thermostati- 5 cally controlled type which automatically maintains the refrigerant pressure in the unit l9 at a predetermined value until such time as liquid refrigerant tends to overflow the unit through the outlet pipe 32. When this occurs the thermostatic 2o bulb 33, in thermal contact with the pipe 32, throttles the valve 3| and reduces or stops the flow of refrigerant into the unit IS.

The refrigerant flowing from the outlet pipe 32 returns to the compressor 26; but preferably 25 this pipe is utilized as a cooling means for the container l6. Thus the pipe 32- includes a plurality of sinuous bends 33 underneath the container l6 which cool the container, and therefore the merchandise therein, and at the same time 30 acts as a drier coil for the returning refrigerant.

Means are provided for automatically controlling the operation of the apparatus. Thus a snap switch 34 is provided which starts and stops the motor 29 in accordance with conditions in the apparatus. Breferably' this snap switch is made responsive to temperature conditions in the cooling unit l9 and thus takes the form of a bellows 35 which is responsive to refrigerant pressures in the unit I 9 by being connected to the pipe 32 and op- 40 erates the snap switch 34. When refrigerant pressures in the cooling unit l9 fall below a predetermined limit the bellows 35 opens the switch 34 and stops the motor 29, and when the temperature dries above a predetemiined limit the switch 15 closed and the motor started.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the coils 33 extend along the bottom of the container l6 and .in addition include a plurality of coils 33a along which follows.

What is; claimed is as follows: i Anapparatus for displaying and refrigerating merchandise comprising,- a plurality of walls front means adapted to support merchandise 1 within said single compartment 'and alongthe bottom thereof, an air cooling unit within said dise, a second cooling unit in thermal contact with said merchandise supporting means, the top wall of said plurality oi. walls of said single compartment extending Oifl' the major portion of the bottom wall thereof, said walls cooperating to shield. mei'chandise supported therealong from forming 'a single compartment having an open relativelywarm air exteriorly of said apparatus, a bai'ne closing an upper portion oi the open front of said single compartment, said baflle b'eing positioned in front 'of said first named cooling unit "to providean opening for the flow chair from the exterior of said single compartment over said first named cooling unit, and means for sup- I y CARL E. HASCHKE.

and spaced from the top wall of said compartment t 

